A Favor For A Sister
by agent-mac
Summary: [KIBBS, Established relationship] Kate’s sister comes to stay because she wants to ask a favor. The favor looks set to tear Kate apart, torn between Gibbs and her sister. CHAPTER 9: Test results are in bringing mixed emotions...
1. Chapter 1

**A Favor For A Sister**

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine, but they aren't.

Summary: Kate's sister comes to stay with Kate because she wants a favor. The 'favor' will not only tear Kate apart, but it looks set to cause irreparable damage to her relationship with Gibbs.

**

* * *

Chapter 1**

Kate walked into the bullpen after lunch and sat down at her desk tiredly. They had just wrapped up a murder case that morning that had required them to fly all over the country in search of an illusive Petty Officer. It had been tiring, to say the least. Kate was past the point of exhaustion. She couldn't wait to finish her report and go home to sleep. She hadn't slept in her own bed for over a week and a half; that was how long they had been chasing him.

They'd stayed in hotel after hotel, barely staying in the same place for more than twenty-four hours. They had been hot on his tail, but they had always been just one step behind, which frustrated them all to no end. That's why they were so grateful that the case was finally over, except for the paperwork. Kate was also happy that the case was over so that she could sleep in her lover's arms again. She hadn't slept with him the entire case; it just wasn't possible. Work was work and from the start of their relationship, they made it a point to separate their personal relationship from their professional one. Only Tony and Ducky knew that Kate and Gibbs were together.

Kate and Gibbs had been involved with each other for almost a year now and neither of them had been happier. They'd also never been apart for more than two days at a time and that was always due to work. Whenever they weren't at work, however, they were together.

The last two weeks had taken a toll on both of them. They had hardly slept whilst they were on the road trying to catch the murderer but it wasn't through lack of trying. They never slept well when they were apart. They really only slept well when they were in each other's arms. Kate and Gibbs were each other's 'other half'. Kate was complete with Gibbs and Gibbs was complete with Kate.

Before beginning writing out her lengthy report, Kate cast her eyes around the bullpen and saw her three male co-workers already hard at work. She sighed in exasperation before sliding her chair closer to her desk to begin typing.

The four agents worked in relative silence for the better part of an hour before the phone on Kate's desk began ringing. Everyone looked up from their computer screens momentarily to watch Kate answer her phone, all praying silently that there wasn't another case to start working on.

"Agent Todd," Kate said curtly down the phone.

"Katie, it's me, Julia." Kate rolled her eyes. She should have let it go to voicemail. Kate hated it when her sister called. Kate had managed to turn avoiding her sister's phone calls into an art-form.

"Oh, hi, Jules," Kate replied, trying to sound happy. She resisted the urge to tack on the end: 'what do you want?', fearing that it was a little rude. She knew her sister had been struggling with a life lately because it took her three years to finally fall pregnant, only to miscarry the baby at three months. She was told that she would never be able to carry a child to full-term and a hysterectomy was performed. The miscarriage was six months ago, and her sister still wasn't back to her usual self, which worried Kate somewhat.

Her three colleagues all breathed a sigh of relief when they realized it was a personal call. Gibbs wasn't impressed, but at least it wasn't a case. He continued to work on his report, but listened intently to Kate's side of the conversation.

"How's things in DC, Katie? Still with NCIS?"

"Things are good here. Hectic, but good. What about you? How are you going?" Kate tried to sound interested in her sister's life, but it always ended up with her sister telling Kate that she needed to find a proper job and settle down with a decent man.

"Things are looking up. Michael and I are fine. In fact, we were thinking of coming to DC to visit you this weekend." Kate was shocked, to say the least. Her sister had never visited her since she moved to Washington when she joined the Secret Service. That was over four years ago.

She managed to hide her surprise well, however. "Really?" She replied, a tinge of excitement could be heard in her voice. As much Julia drove her crazy, they got along very well and had a relatively close relationship when they were growing up. "Sounds great," Kate continued.

"Yeah, I have a favor I want to ask you." Kate sank back into her chair in disappointment. She knew there was an ulterior motive. With her sister, there always was. She only really called to brag to Kate about something, hassle her about not being married or having a proper job, or to ask a favor.

"What is it?"

"It's not something I can ask over the phone, Katie," Julia replied using Kate's nickname. "That's why we're coming to visit."

Kate sighed. "Fair enough. What time is your flight landing?"

"It lands at four in the afternoon. Can you pick us up from the airport?"

"Sure, Jules. No problem."

"Thanks Katie-girl. I'll call you in the morning with the flight details." Kate smiled slightly. 'Katie-girl' was her childhood nickname. Aside from her immediate family, the only other person whohas ever calledher that is Gibbs. Tony called her that a few times, but he ended up being elbowed in the stomach.

"Okay,"

"Bye Katie."

"Bye," Kate replied half-heartedly before putting the phone back in its cradle. She glanced around the bullpen when the call finished and saw that Tony and McGee were working but Gibbs had stopped writing his report. Instead, he now had his eyes fixed on Kate.

Kate looked over to Gibbs and smiled. The mouthed the words 'I'll tell you at home' to him before she turned back to her computer and continued on with her report.

The sun had set two hours ago, yet they were still working silently at their desks. Not one of them had spoken; they were all pushing themselves to finish their paperwork tonight so that they could go home and rest without having to wakeup early in the morning to finish it.

Now, Kate wanted to go home more than she did when they first wrapped up the case. Her whole body ached from sheer exhaustion. She looked up from her desk again and saw Tony stretching and re-adjusting himself in his seat. He looked as tired as she did. McGee was typing away furiously at his computer, a look of determination was plastered on his face. She turned her attention to Gibbs; he was squinting at the screen in an attempt to read the small font. Kate rolled her eyes. He had glasses, but he never wore them and that frustrated the hell out of her.

"Well, I've finished up here, boss," Tony said, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

"Go home, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "Give me your report in the morning." Tony threw his head back in relief. He stood up quickly and made his way out of the bullpen, shouting his goodbyes over his shoulder as he entered the elevator. "How much longer will you two be?" Gibbs asked Kate and McGee once Tony had gone.

"I'm just backing up the file now, boss," McGee said, "then I'll be off as well." Gibbs nodded then looked expectantly at Kate to hear her response.

"I still have a bit more to do. I might be another hour or so," Kate replied. Gibbs turned back to his computer without comment. He didn't want her to be 'another hour or so', as she had put it. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and take her home.

After a few more minutes, McGee had finished his report and headed home, leaving Kate and Gibbs alone in the bullpen. Without saying a word, Gibbs rose from his chair and put his coat on. He moved around to Kate's desk and waited for her to do the same. She placed her hand in his and they left for Gibbs' house. "You can finish your report in the morning," Gibbs said to her as the elevator doors closed. He leant in and kissed her on the forehead. "Right now, though, I just want to take you home."

That night, when they were curled up in each other's arms, Kate told Gibbs that her sister and her husband were coming on Friday to spend the weekend with her. "She said she had something she wants to ask me," Kate had said when Gibbs' questioned her as to why her sister was coming all the way from Indiana. It was then that Gibbs felt Kate tense up in his arms.

"What's wrong, Katie?" he asked in a hushed tone; a tone that was never heard at NCIS. Kate sighed and leant back into his embrace.

"My sister is conservative, to say the least," Kate said timidly, unsure of how to approach this topic. She rolled over so she could face him. "She's Catholic, Jethro." She'd said it bluntly, hoping he would understand what she was trying to tell him.

"So are you," he pointed out.

"No, Jethro. She's Catholic," she said again, placing significant emphasis on the word 'catholic'. "She doesn't believe in pre-marital sex."

"Oh," Gibbs said. He knew what she meant. They would have to sleep in their own beds for the weekend. Kate sighed and closed her eyes.

"I love you, Jethro, you know that, but you have to understand-"

"I understand, Katie," he said, cutting her off. He cupper her face with his hand and let his thumb run lightly over her face. "Respecting your family's morals is important to you, if it means we have to spend the weekend apart, I'm ok with that." Kate open her eyes and smiled at him.

"I'd like you to meet her though."

"So would I," Gibbs replied. He leant forward and kissed her softly before pulling her closer. "Good night. I love you."

"I love you too, Jethro. Good night."

"Sweet dreams, Katie."

* * *

So, what do you think? Please review... 


	2. Chapter 2

**A Favor For A Sister**

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine, but they aren't.

Summary: Kate's sister comes to stay with Kate because she wants a favor. The 'favor' will not only tear Kate apart, but it looks set to cause irreparable damage to her relationship with Gibbs. Kibbs, established relationship

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. They blew me away. I'm still really hesitant about this fic because I'm not sure if I'm capturing the Kibbs relationship very well.

A huge thank you also to Loz and Annie for their wonderful input!

**

* * *

Chapter 2**

The next few days passed quickly for all of them; too quickly, however, for Kate and Gibbs. Kate's sister was arriving in less than four hours and Kate was frantically running around her apartment trying to make it 'lived in'. She probably slept in her own bed once a week, if that. Gibbs had given her the day off work, too, which not only surprised her, but also her co-workers.

Kate surveyed her apartment. It was clean, probably a little too clean, but at least her sister wouldn't be able to 'go home to mum' and say that Kate wasn't living like a slob. Kate made sure that her apartment was spotless and she also tried to make it look 'lived-in'. To do that, she had to re-fill her wardrobe with clothes; it was now pretty much empty because all the clothes she wore were at Gibbs' house.

She remembered what had happened when she put her clothes at his house in a box. He had looked at her sadly the day before when she carried the box out to her car. Kate saw the sad expression on his face and knew what he was thinking.

"Relax, Jethro. I'll bring it all back on Monday!" He chuckled lightly at her. "But I can still sleep here tonight, can't I?" She asked timidly. He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I wouldn't let you sleep anywhere else, Katie," Gibbs replied. Eventually, Kate pulled out of the embrace and left for her apartment so she could finish tidying it up.

Kate was brought back to reality by the ringing of her cell phone. She ran to the kitchen where it lay on the bench. "Todd,"

"Is your apartment all clean?" Kate smiled to herself. Gibbs was never one for greetings.

"All done," Kate replied. "I'm going to take a shower and then go to the airport."

"You need a hand with anything?" Gibbs asked cheekily.

"Jethro!" Kate exclaimed. "Where are you?"

"Getting coffee." Kate rolled her eyes at his response. 'Typical', she thought.

"Have you got a new case?"

"No, but I needed to get out of the office!" Kate laughed. Gibbs was lucky in that respect. Whenever he needed to get away from the office, he went to get coffee.

"So, what time are you coming over for dinner tonight meet Julia and Michael?"

"I'll leave the office early. I'll be there around six thirty with the food."

"Ok, I'll see you then," replied Kate. They closed off the call and put her cell phone back down on the bench.

* * *

Kate stood nervously at the airport waiting for her sister and brother-in-law's flight to land. She wasn't sure why she was nervous; it was her sister coming to stay for a weekend, but something about the situation made her feel uneasy. 'What does she want?' Kate thought to herself. 'She's never done anything like this before. It has to be something big. She usually just asks me over the phone.'

"Attention ladies and gentlemen. Flight AA122 from Indiana has landed." The announcement came across the loudspeakers. Kate moved towards the arrivals gate and looked out for her sister. They didn't look anything alike. Kate's sister was several inches taller and had light blonde hair. Julia was easy to spot in the sea of people walking through the gates. Julia soon spotted her sister and ran towards Kate. They threw themselves into each other's arms and held on tightly. After a few moments, they pulled away.

"Katie, it's so good to see you," Julia said.

"It's been four years, Jules," Kate replied, smiling broadly at her older sister. Kate looked over at Michael and moved to hug him briefly. "Hi Michael." Julia and Michael had been married for six years and he was like another brother to her.

They chatted animatedly between themselves as they removed Julia and Michael's luggage from the carousel and walked out to the car. The drive home took longer than expected because it was peak hour traffic, but Kate was happy they had made it home before five thirty. That gave her an hour to basically tell her sister that she was in a steady relationship.

She showed Julia and Michael through her apartment and they were pretty impressed with it. As they walked back into the lounge room to sit down after their 'grand tour', Julia asked the question Kate was waiting for her to ask since she'd arrived. "So, Kate, when are you going to settle down and have a steady relationship and find yourself a decent job?"

Kate rolled her eyes. She knew it was coming. "I have a decent job, Jules, and I am in a steady relationship," she smirked slightly at her sister and held back a grin. Her sister looked shocked.

"Since when? Who is he? Why haven't you told me about him? How serious is it?" Kate and Michael both laughed at the questions Julia fired at Kate.

"We've been together almost a year."

"Almost a year and you never told me?" her sister shrieked. Julia was always the one who wanted to know everything about everyone.

"I don't know," Kate said, sitting back in the sofa. "But you'll get to meet him soon. He's bringing dinner."

"Sounds great. So where did you meet him?"

Kate thought for a moment before giving her answer. If she told Julia that he was her boss, then she'd never hear the end of it. She'd try and keep that tiny detail concealed from her for as long as possible. Kate knew that once her sister found out, she'd be on the phone tell their mother.

"I met him on Air Force One," Kate stated simply. It was the truth, but not the whole truth.

"You've known him since you were in the Secret Service?" Kate nodded, smiling at her sister. 'If only you knew,' Kate thought to herself.

"Yeah," Kate replied, not giving anything away. There was no doubt that Julia would find out soon enough. Kate glanced at her watch and saw that it was almost a quarter past six. "He'll be here in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you two go and freshen up and I'll get everything ready for dinner," Kate suggested as she stood up and moved toward the kitchen. She saw her sister take hold of Michael's hand as they made their way to Kate's guest room.

Kate began getting out plates and cutlery when her phone rang. It was Gibbs calling again. "Todd."

"I'm leaving now, I won't be long."

"Okay."

"How is your sister?"

"Good, she knows about you, but I didn't tell her how I knew you. I just said I met you on Air Force One."

"No you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Meet me on Air Force One."

"Yes, I did!" Gibbs chuckled at her response.

"You met me on Alpha Foxtrot 29000," he said smugly. Kate groaned. He was right. Again!

"If you want to be specific, then yes, I met you on Alpha Foxtrot 29000! See you soon!"

"I love you, Kate," he said before he closed the call.

Half an hour, he pulled into Kate's apartment complex and went up. He hesitated a moment before he knocked. He had a key, but he thought it was best if he knocked. Gibbs hated to admit it, but he was slightly nervous. He was meeting Kate's sister and brother-in-law and from what Kate had told him, her sister was a hard woman to please. He held the Chinese take-out boxes in his left hand and knocked lightly on her door with his right. He took a step back and waited.

His breath caught in his throat when Kate opened the door. She stood in front of him, grinning broadly. "Hey Jethro," she said as she stepped aside to let him in. He stepped inside her apartment and leant down to kiss her lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

"Hey there, Katie-girl," he whispered as the broke apart. She took his hand in hers and walked down to the kitchen where Julia and Michael were waiting to meet him.

Gibbs entered the kitchen a step behind Kate. "Julia, Michael," Kate said as they came into the room. "This is Jethro." Gibbs stepped forward and shook hands with both of them. He could feel Kate's sister looking him up and down and he knew what she was thinking. 'This man is too old for my little sister. He's old enough to be our father.'

An awkward silence filled the room. Kate looked over at Gibbs and smiled at him. "Shall we eat?" Gibbs lifted up the Chinese food and placed it on the table. Julia and Michael settled themselves down next to each other on one side of the table and Kate sat next to Gibbs on the other. They opened up the takeout boxes and began eating.

Conversation was light over dinner. Gibbs spoke little of himself, instead, he preferred listening to Julia and Michael talk with Kate. Michael talked about his accountancy firm and Julia spoke happily of the students at the high school she taught at.

They moved the conversation into the lounge room once they had finished dinner. This time, Gibbs was less reserved, and he spoke briefly about his time in the marines. Kate was amazed that he was talking about his life, but then she realized how he was doing it. He was using the present tense, indicating that he still was a marine. Deep down, of course, he still was a marine, but he was using the present tense intentionally. He was respecting her wishes that they kept their 'professional' relationship hidden from her sister.

It was just past midnight when Gibbs noticed Kate stifle a yawn. When Julia yawned a few moments later, Gibbs took that as his cue to leave. He kissed Kate on her temple and whispered in her ear, "I'll head home now, Kate. I'll let you get some sleep." He stood up from his position on the couch. "It was a pleasure meeting you both," he said, "but I better get going. I'll let you all get some rest." He extended his hand to Michael and shook it in the same he had done when he had first arrived.

They moved out of the lounge room and walked down to the front door. Gibbs put on his coat and turned to Kate. "Call me tomorrow," Gibbs said. He placed his hand on Kate's cheeks and looked directly in her eyes. Gibbs leant down and kissed her lightly; it was the first display of intimacy that they had shown in front of Kate's family. "I love you," Gibbs whispered when he pulled out of the kiss.

"Bye Jethro," called Julia and Michael in unison. Kate didn't say anything. Instead, she pulled him down for another kiss, this one more passionate than the last. Gibbs was surprised, but returned the kiss with equal passion.

Michael and Julia looked at each other with raised eyebrows before Julia tugged Michael on the sleeve and pulled him back to the lounge room to give her sister the privacy she knew she wanted.

This time, it was Kate who pulled out of the kiss. "Thanks for coming, Jethro."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Your sister and brother-in-law seem nice."

"They liked you," Kate replied as she ran her fingers over his strong jaw line. They stood there, totally absorbed in each other. It was several moments before Kate spoke again. "I wish you could stay tonight. I hate being apart from you."

"So do I, Katie, but you'll be back in my arms on Monday." He leant down and kissed her lips again before he walked out the house and into the cool night air.

Kate walked back into the lounge room and was met by twin smirks from Michael and Julia. She dipped her head in embarrassment. "So, ah, what did you think of Jethro?" Kate asked tentatively as she sat down on the couch.

"He seems like a very intriguing man, Katie," Julia replied. Kate could feel a 'but' coming on, and sure enough, there was. "But, isn't he a little old for you?" Kate rolled her eyes.

"I love him, Jules." Her sister was silenced by Kate's answer.

As a child, Kate had always been straight to the point, and now in her adult life, she wasn't any different. "Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?" Kate asked. She couldn't hold the question back any longer. It had been playing on her lips since she picked them up from the airport. Julia looked over to Michael before turning back to Kate.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow morning? It's too late to discuss it now." Kate nodded in defeat. It was going to be a long, sleepless night.

* * *

This is all I have written for now. I'll start writing the next chapter when I am sure I can write more- at the moment, I'm not very confident about this one. Ultimately, it will be your reviews that are the deciding factor! If you want to read more, then you have to review and tell me so! 


	3. Chapter 3

**A Favor For A Sister**

Sorry about the delayed update. I haven't forgotten about this fic, it's just taken a little bit longer to write than I thought!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews the first two chapters have received. I really appreciate the feedback.

The secret is revealed…..

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Kate climbed out of bed the next morning feeling anything but rested. She had finally settled into bed shortly before one o'clock and she'd spent the next six hours rolling around her large bed, trying to get comfortable. Even though she'd spent a week and a half in a bed alone whilst they were off chasing that Petty Officer, she'd slept soundly because Gibbs was sleeping in the next room.

She wanted to know why her sister and her husband had come all the way from Indiana to see her. She knew it was to ask a favor, but what? Kate had lay awake all night thinking of what her sister wanted from her but all her ideas seemed ridiculous.

As Kate moved around her kitchen, Michael and Julia continued to sleep. Kate looked over at the clock on the oven and thought of Gibbs. It was more than likely that he would be awake, seeing that it was just after seven, so Kate picked up her phone and dialed. Gibbs picked up after only one ring.

"I was wondering when you were going to call!" Gibbs said flatly. Kate laughed at his greeting, but then fell silent. "Didn't sleep well?"

"I didn't sleep at all, Jethro," Kate replied sadly.

"Has your sister told you why she's here?" Gibbs knew what was troubling her. They'd talked about it during the week and Kate had said that her sister never wants anything from her; she just hassles her to 'find a decent job and settle down.'

He heard Kate sigh loudly on the other side of the phone. "No."

"And you stayed up all night trying to figure it out." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Pretty much."

"Did you figure anything out?"

"No," Kate said. Gibbs was shocked by the tone of her voice. She sounded sad, disappointed and confused. They were three emotions that Gibbs knew Kate hated to feel.

"She'll obviously tell you when she's ready," Gibbs said in an attempt to reassure her.

"I suppose," Kate replied. She took a sip from her coffee as she sat down at her table. "But it's just this whole thing is weird, Jethro."

"In what way?"

"The fact that she's flown over here- something that she has never done in the four years that I have lived here, and-"

"Kate," Gibbs said, cutting her off mid-sentence, "she'll tell you. You know she will." He heard Kate sigh again. He was right and she knew it. "Why don't you finish your coffee and have a shower. It will make you feel more refreshed."

"I hate it when you're right," Kate said. Gibbs laughed at her response. He was always right and most people found that disconcerting, but Kate drew strength from it. "I'll call you later, ok?"

"Ok, I'll be here. I might work on my boat for a few hours."

"How long will it take you to finish it?" Kate asked, changing the subject.

"I've been working on that boat for seven years, Katie, and it was coming along nicely, but then I fell in love with you and since then, I prefer to spend my time doing other things!"

"I love you," Kate said in response to his statement, "but you didn't answer my question!"

Gibbs chuckled before responding, "at least a few more years, Katie!"

"And how do you plan on getting it out the basement of our house?" As soon as she said the words 'our house', Kate regretted it. She didn't even know what made her say it; the possessiveness literally popped out.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence, the realization of Kate's words hitting hard. It was Gibbs, however, who spoke first. "I'll find a way, Katie, I always do." Kate didn't reply to what Gibbs' had said; she couldn't find a response. "Call me later, Kate," Gibbs said, breaking the silence for the second time.

"Yeah, ok," Kate said distractedly. She was mentally kicking herself for the possessiveness she put on 'house', but she couldn't stop thinking about what her sister wanted from her. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

"Kate, she'll tell you when she's ready," Gibbs replied, repeating his earlier words. His secure tone of voice, for once, provided little comfort to Kate. "I love you, Kate," Gibbs replied. He closed the call and left Kate sitting at her kitchen table staring dejectedly into her coffee, cell phone in hand.

That was how Michael found her fifteen minutes later when he sauntered into the kitchen looking rested and alert. "Morning, Kate," he said as he poured himself a coffee.

"Morning," Kate mumbled back.

"Goodness, Kate, you look like you didn't sleep a wink!" He walked over to the table and sat opposite her. Kate lifted her eyes and gave him a look that said: 'gee, thanks, I really needed to hear that.'

"Working on a difficult case," Kate stated believingly. She knew it was a lie, but what Michael didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. Michael nodded in response and drank his coffee. Kate stood up and moved over to the sink where she rinsed out her mug. "I'm going to take a shower," Kate said as she moved out of the kitchen.

Two hours later, Kate, Julia and Michael were sitting in the lounge room relaxing. Kate was reading a file that she had brought home from work whilst her sister and brother-in-law read the daily paper. Michael was reading the sport section and Julia was reading the gossip columns. Kate's eyes scanned the page in front of her, but her brain didn't absorb any of it. She couldn't help but wonder when her sister was going to bring up 'the favor'. Kate was growing more curious and anxious by the minute.

After reading the same page four times, Kate finally succumbed to her curiosity. In the same way she had the night before, Kate asked the question. "Jules, why are you here?"

Julia looked up from the paper and looked over a Michael. They made eye contact for a moment before Michael stood up and said, "I'll go for a walk. I'll leave you two ladies to it." He bent down and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and squeezed her hand briefly before he let himself out.

The air in the room was tense. Kate fixed her eyes on her sister, who was staring blankly at the newspaper in front of her. Kate could see her visibly try to control herself. She saw the slow, deep breaths that Julia was taking and how she had clasped her hands tightly in her lap. 'Wow, this must be bigger than I realised', Kate thought.

After several minutes, Julia finally began speaking. "When Mike and I lost the baby, we were devastated." Kate's face softened when she thought back to how depressed her sister had been at the time. Julia smiled faintly at Kate before she continued. "Then when I had to have a hysterectomy, I didn't think I could go on." Julia took a deep breath. "Mike and I have always wanted to have a big family, and then when we finally got that opportunity to start one, it was ripped away from us." Julia began to get all emotional at this point, so Kate moved over on the couch to comfort her. She placed a hand on her back and rubbed it in soothing circles. Julia quickly composed herself and went on. "We're going to have a family though. You can help us with that."

Kate looked at her sister with a confused expression on her face. "How?" She asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper.

"We want you to be our surrogate mother. We want you to carry our child."

* * *

So, that's it for chapter three. The 'favor' is finally out! Please let me know what you think of it! 


	4. Chapter 4

**A Favor For A Sister**

Wow! Thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed! This has to be some sort of record for me... updating two fics in the same week! But yes, thank you to all the reviewers, I couldn't have done it without you! Your feedback inspires me!

Thanks also to Loz, Annie, and Mel for all their help and inspiration.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think...

**

* * *

Part 4**

Kate withdrew her hand quickly from her sister's back as she tried to absorb what her sister had just asked her. "W-w-what did you just say?" Kate asked, her voice cracking.

Julia looked at her sister and noticed the shocked expression on her face. "Mike and I, we want you to be our surrogate mother," Julia repeated.

"I heard you." Kate placed her hands in her lap and stared at them.

"I had some of my eggs frozen so that one day, we could still have children of our own."

"Why me?"

"You're my sister, Katie. I wouldn't have anyone else carry my child."

"I don't know what to say, Jules," Kate said honestly.

"You don't have to say anything. You don't have to give us an answer straight away." Kate nodded, her whole body was numb. She couldn't believe what her sister had just asked her to do. Never in her wildest dreams did Kate think that her sister would ask her to be a surrogate mother, to carry their child. "We understand it's a lot to ask, but we have thought about it a lot and, well, you're my sister." Julia stared at Kate. As she wasn't talking, Julia wondered what was going through her mind. "There are tests that have to be done to see if your body is strong enough to be a surrogate," Julia said, "so you can take those tests and talk to the doctor about it."

Kate sat next to her sister and found it impossible to move. She was rooted in her seat despite wanting to get out of there and run away as fast as she could. "I-I-I…" Kate tried to speak, but the words wouldn't form. She had so many questions for her sister. She didn't understand why her sister and her brother-in-law had chosen her, specifically, to carry their child. Kate took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. "I'll be back later," Kate said quickly as she got up from the couch and moved out of the room. She grabbed her keys from the table beside her front door and left, slamming it behind her.

Julia sat dejectedly on the couch. She was stunned at her sister's reaction. She didn't think that Kate would just run away- she thought she would talk it through with her. Julia knew it was a lot to ask, but she truly believed that Kate would be the person who could make her and Michael's dreams come true.

Meanwhile, Kate got in her car and began driving. 'Gibbs,' her mind was screaming. 'Go and see Gibbs.' Her heart was pounding her chest. How could her sister ask this of her? It wasn't just any favor. This was a life-changing event. Having a child for someone, in Kate's mind, did not constitute a 'favor'. Now she understood why Julia and Michael flew out from Indiana to ask her. It definitely wasn't something that you asked over the phone.

Twenty minutes later, Kate pulled into Gibbs driveway and ran up the steps to his house. She used the doorbell instead of using her keys; her hands were shaking so much thatshe couldn't steady them enough to fit the key in the keyhole.

Gibbs opened the door and was shocked at the picture Kate presented to him. She was standing on his doorstep with her shoulders slumped, her hands by her side and her head was drooped. What shocked Gibbs the most was the expression on her face. Her eyes, mainly, told her story. She was sad, confused, distressed and shocked. Gibbs reached his arm out and gently led her into the house.

He placed his hand supportively on her back and walked with her to his lounge room. He was taken aback by her manner; she was almost comatose-like. Her eyes were fixed in front of her and the only body part that was moving were her legs. He helped her sit on his couch before he lowered himself down next to her. He took both of her hands in his and sat there patiently, waiting for her to speak. He figured that Julia had asked Kate the 'favor' and it was much bigger than Kate had expected, not that she had really expected anything at all.

He ran his thumbs over her knuckles as he held her hands in his. At this gesture of support, Kate began crying. Gibbs removed one of his hands from hers, placed it around her shoulders and drew her close to him. Kate turned to face him and buried her head in his chest as her cries became louder and more desperate. She had wrapped both arms around his neck as she clung to him with every inch of her being.

Gibbs wanted desperately to know what had caused such an outburst from Kate, but he knew he couldn't force it out of her. He remembered what he had said to Kate that morning on the phone: she'll tell you when she's ready. That same advice applied to him right now.

Kate cried until she couldn't cry any more. Gibbs pulled away from her and took her face in his hands. He ran his thumbs lightly over her cheeks, brushing away the tears. She looked up at him and all he could see was pain. He brought her face closer to his and kissed her forehead lightly.

"She told me what she wanted," Kate finally said, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

"It wasn't what you expected," Gibbs replied.

"I didn't expect anything, but I certainly didn't expect her to ask me that." Gibbs sat there expectantly, waiting for her to tell him what she had been asked. He took both her hands in his again and looked at her. "She…" Kate began, "she asked," Kate took a deep breath and continued. "She asked if I could be their surrogate mother."

Gibbs, who was usually good at keeping a straight-face, did nothing to try and hide his surprise. "Oh, Katie," he said as he pulled her back into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and began sobbing again. He rubbed her back in soothing circles in an effort to comfort her. The words 'surrogate mother' echoed in his head. How could her sister ask something like that of Kate?

In his mind, Kate was probably the worst person to ask to do such a thing because Kate would get so emotionally attached to the child throughout the pregnancy, that when it came time to give the baby up, she wouldn't be able to do it. It would put her through hell.

The more Gibbs comforted Kate in his arms, the more he thought about the repercussions. Julia was asking Kate to give up nearly a year of her own life to carry their child; essentially, Kate's niece or nephew.

He could see why Kate was so upset. Kate loved her sister and would do anything for her which was why she was torn. She wanted to help her sister; she knew how hard it had been for her to fall pregnant and then lose the baby, but at the same time, Kate knew, deep down, she wouldn't be able to be a surrogate mother. The emotional ramifications after the birth would be too much.

"What are you going to do?" Gibbs whispered softly, almost afraid of her answer. He felt Kate sigh deeply in his arms. She pulled out of his protective embrace and looked up at him.

"I have to do it," she stated. Gibbs was shocked. He expected the run-of-the-mill 'I don't know,' response from her. He hadn't expected that.

"Katie," Gibbs said in a warning tone.

"I have to Jethro. She's my sister."

"It's a big decision, Katie. It doesn't just affect you." Kate looked up at him with a confused expression on her face. "What about how this would affect us?"

"You don't want me to do it," Kate stated, putting the words in his mouth.

"I never said that, Kate, but having someone else's child isn't something that you decide to do overnight." Kate looked at him angrily. Gibbs thought for a moment of how to phrase this next part so it didn't come out the wrong way. "I just thought that your first child would be your own." He sounded almost disappointed when he said it.

There was a moment of silence before Kate responded. "She would do it for me in a heartbeat."

"You're not your sister, Kate." Kate looked away from Gibbs and stared at the coffee table in front of her. He was right. He always was.

"At least just let me do the tests,"

"That would only hurt them more, Kate," Gibbs said, placing a finger under chin and lifting her head so that she was looking at him. "It would be giving them false hope if you did that."

Kate sunk back into the couch and closed her eyes.

Gibbs put his arm around Kate and drew her to him again. Gibbs loved Kate with all of his heart, and he would go to the ends of the earth for her, to protect her and ensure she never got hurt.

As they sat there in companionable silence, he thought of how much he wanted to be with Kate forever. The thought that she wanted to have someone else's child tore him up. He wanted her to have his child. He wanted to have a child with her. He smiled at the thought of Kate swelling up with their child.

Kate shifted in his arms. "Jethro," she said meekly.

"Mmm…"

"I'm sorry."

Gibbs was silent for a moment. "Why?"

"I have to do this."

* * *

Well, that's it for chapter four. Please review and let me know what you thought of it. I'm not sure exactly where I'm going to take this at the moment, if I take it anywhere at all, so review! 


	5. Chapter 5

**A Favor For A Sister**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate the time you take to write one. Here is the next chapter; it's only short, but hopefully you enjoy it all the same.

Once again, special thanks goes to Annie, Loz and Mel!

Enjoy!

**

* * *

Part 5**

Kate walked back into her apartment just after midday. She found her sister sitting in the same position on the couch as she had been when Kate had left to see Gibbs, over two hours ago. Julia looked up when Kate entered the room and sat down next to her.

"Kate, I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"No, Jules, don't be sorry. I'm sorry I ran out like that."

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't-"

Kate cut her sister off again. "Just answer me one thing: what about the Church? We're Catholics, Jules. This goes against the Church."

"Mike and I have talked about it. This is the only way we will be able to have children of our own. We will not turn our back on our religion." Kate seemed to accept her answer, but to Julia, she appeared apprehensive. She took a chance and spoke again, "you can't be a surrogate mother, Katie. You've got your job and Jethro,"

"I want to do the tests," Kate said, silencing her sister. Julia sat up straight and stared at her sister.

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, Julia." Kate reached forward and hugged her sister. Julia hugged her back and let the tears fall. Her sister's tears did not surprise Kate. It only prompted Kate to let tears of her own fall. They pulled out of each others arms and wiped their tears away.

"You're going to take the tests?" Kate nodded, smiling.

"What do I have to do?"

Michael returned home an hour later and heard laughter coming from Kate's lounge room. He walked in and saw Kate and Julia sitting there pouring over photo albums, pointing and laughing at photos of their childhood. Michael cleared his throat to get their attention. Julia looked up from the album and saw her husband standing there.

She jumped up from her position next to Kate and ran to Michael, throwing herself into his arms. "She said yes!" Julia exclaimed as she stood in front of him. "She's going to take the tests!" Michael looked over his shoulder to Kate who was sitting on the couch smiling at them. Michael picked Julia up and swung her around.

"Oh, Kate, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to us." Kate nodded in acknowledgement.

Julia and Michael broke apart and Julia turned to face Kate. "What does Jethro think about you doing this for us?" Kate's eyes dropped to the floor. Gibbs wasn't happy with her, and when she walked out of his house and left him sitting alone on his couch, she wondered if there would be a relationship left once her sister and brother-in-law left on Sunday night.

"It's not his decision to make," Kate replied, not exactly a direct answer to Julia's question. Her eyebrows wrinkled up in confusion.

"He doesn't want you to do it?" Michael asked. Kate shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Kate!" Julia exclaimed, "talk to him." Julia suspected that Kate had come to the decision on her own and had left her partner's wishes out of it. Kate had always been like that. It's not that she was selfish, Kate was anything but selfish, however, she had a tendency to want to do things for others, regardless of how it would affect those closest to her.

"What about your job then?"

"It's not like I'm going to have your child tomorrow. We all know this is going to take time. I'll deal with my work when I get to it."

"I don't want you working if you're going to carry my child." Kate rolled her eyes at her sister. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Caitlin, your job is dangerous." Kate flopped back down on the couch and closed her eyes.

"I said I will take the tests. Let's not think about anything else until the testing phase is over, ok?" Julia crossed the room and sat down next to her sister.

"Do you mind if I stay here a bit longer? Michael has to go back tomorrow like we planned, but since the schools are out at the moment on mid-semester break, I was hoping I could stay here whilst you have all the tests done."

Kate sat there for a moment and stared at the coffee table in front of her before she responded. Having her sister stay with her until the tests had been done or until the semester re-commenced at school meant more time away from Gibbs. But, Julia was her sister, and she felt she owed her that much."Sure, stay as long as you want."

Michael smiled and left the room, leaving Kate and Julia alone on the couch again. "Can you take some time off this week to go to the doctors and have the first lot of tests done?" Julia asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"I suppose I could," Kate said. She paused briefly to think of Gibbs' reaction. After quickly realizing she didn't care what he thought, she continued, "I'll just take a few days personal leave."

"Do you have a, ah, um, a female doctor that we can go and see?" Kate bit back a laugh at her sister's hesitancy. Although they were close, 'things like this' had never really been talked about in their family. They were an extremely conservative, private family.

"Yeah, I do," Kate said. "I will ring up on Monday morning and make an appointment." Julia nodded, but Kate continued speaking. "What sort of tests do I have to do?"

"The first one is a simple blood test, then a full physical exam and a psychological interview." Kate nodded.

'Three easy steps', Kate thought to herself. She knew she would pass the first two tests, but she wasn't sure about the third. Kate figured the psychological test would be to make sure that the surrogate mother would be mentally strong enough to cope not only with the pregnancy itself, but also with the post-birth separation.

Her whole life, Kate had wanted to have children but since she began working at NCIS and especially since she had begun seeing Gibbs, she wondered where children would fit in, if they would even fit in at all. Gibbs had been married three times, yet he didn't have any children. It wasn't hard to make any obvious conclusions from that: he didn't have children because he didn't want any. Having children was never a topic that came up between them in conversation either.

There was a comfortable silence in the room. Julia sat there pondering of the future; the possibility of having a child and what it would be like watching them grow up. Kate, however, was sitting there worried about what she was getting herself into. Thoughts were flashing through her mind at a hundred miles an hour and they all kept going back to her relationship with Gibbs.

"Do you mind if I go out for a bit?" Kate asked her sister.

"Not at all," Julia replied, giving Kate a soft smile. Kate got up from the couch and made her way to Gibbs' house for the second time that day. She wanted to talk to him. She was scared, however, because she wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to her.

* * *

Right- that's it for chapter five! Please review. I love getting feedback... I'm not really sure where I'm taking this fic yet, so if there is something you want to see happen, review and let me know! 


	6. Chapter 6

**A Favor For A Sister**

Sorry about the delay… I've had this chapter written for a while, but I wanted it to be perfect… I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Thank you very much for your reviews so far… they've helped me write this chapter! Thanks also to Annie, Loz and Mel for their continual hounding!

**

* * *

Part 6**

They'd fought like they'd never fought before. Gibbs didn't understand why Kate wanted to throw away everything she had worked for just for her sister. Kate didn't understand how Gibbs didn't see how important it was that she did this for her sister.

They'd screamed at each other, too. Their discussion was more than heated. At one stage, Gibbs even admitted that he wanted to have children with Kate, but she didn't hear him say it because at the same time, she was yelling something about him being a bastard. They had tears streaming down their faces. When Kate had walked out of his house an hour later without so much as goodbye, they knew it was over. They loved each other so much that it hurt, but they were divided on this issue. Now, their hearts were divided too.

Kate didn't go straight home after fighting with Gibbs. Instead, she went into NCIS where she filled out a 'personal leave' request form so that she could spend at least three days at home with her sister and hopefully have the first round of tests done. Hopefully, it would also give both Gibbs and herself some time to cool off and to sort out what was happening between them. She took the form up to Director Morrow's office and left it on his desk for him to find when he arrived on Monday morning.

* * *

Michael flew back to Indiana on Sunday evening because he was due to resume work the following day. After Kate and Julia had taken Michael to the airport, they went out to dinner together and caught a movie before they finally turned in for the night. They'd talked until the early hours of the morning, but they stayed well-clear of the topic which was bringing so much joy to Julia and Michael, yet was causing absolute heartbreak for Kate. She was torn.

When Kate woke up on Monday morning, the first thing she did was make an appointment with her OB/GYN. Oddly enough, there had been a cancellation for that afternoon so Kate accepted the appointment and began preparing for the day that lay ahead.

She was bought out of her silent reverie by the shrilling of her phone. Grumbling to herself, Kate walked over to the kitchen bench and answered it.

"Todd."

"Kate! Whoa! You sound as grouchy as Gibbs."

"What do you want, Tony?"

"Why are you taking leave?"

"My sister is still here," Kate deadpanned. That wasn't the truth, but she hoped Tony wouldn't be able to tell.

"That doesn't explain why Gibbs is pissed."

"Tony," Kate said warningly.

"Seriously, Kate. I've never seen him like this. He's had three cups of coffee already this morning. Did you guys have a fight or something?" Kate sighed loudly. "Is everything ok, Kate?"

"Everything is fine, Tony."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tony asked. He knew that things weren't fine. The fact that Kate had taken 'personal' leave was an indication of that.

"Not really."

"Well, you know where I am if you want to talk."

"Yeah, thanks, Tony," Kate said half-heartedly.

"And Kate?" Tony added before she got the chance to hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Talk to him. Don't let whatever you're fighting about come between you. You're made for each other," Tony said sincerely. Kate heard what Tony said and couldn't help but let a tear trickle down her cheek. "Kate?"

"I'm fine," she said through her tears. Tony heard her sob through the phone and his heart constricted. Things were obviously more serious than he thought if Kate was crying. Crying was not something she ever did.

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah,"

"Do you want some company?"

"My sister is here, DiNozzo," Kate said, regaining her composure.

"That wasn't what I asked, Kate." Tony was worried about her. Their sibling-like relationship was stronger than it had ever been before. Ever since Kate had begun seeing Gibbs, they'd become stronger friends, Kate leaning on Tony whenever Gibbs was hung up on a case and wouldn't talk to her about it.

"I'm fine, Tony. I promise."

"Well, you know where I am if you want someone to talk to if Gibbs wont listen."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Look after yourself, kiddo," he said, "I'll see you back at work on Thursday."

"Yeah, bye, Tony," Kate said absent-mindedly before closing the call and putting her cell into her handbag.

Julia chose that moment to enter the kitchen. "Did you want to spend the morning shopping?" Julia asked as she busied herself in the kitchen.

"Um, yeah, sure. Just let me get my stuff, and then we can head off, ok?"

"Sure," Kate's sister replied, sitting down at the table. Julia set about reading the morning paper whilst Kate was in her room getting dressed. The whole time, though, she was thinking about Gibbs. If he was as bad as Tony said he was, then it was a clear indication that things between them were rocky.

Whenever they'd fought in the past, which, granted, wasn't often, Gibbs had been slightly unbearable for a day or two. Tony made it sound like Gibbs was ready to pull his sig sauer off his hip and shoot anyone who got in his way.

Kate fastened the buttons on her blouse and went back out to the kitchen. "Ready?" she asked Julia.

"Yep! Let's go!"

Shopping with her sister was relatively painless. They wandered around the mall with no real reason other than to pass time. Kate had bought herself a new suit for work and a few blouses that could be worn with it. Julia got a little excited, however, when they went past a baby boutique. "Come on, Kate! Just a quick look!" Julia said as she dragged Kate in to the store. Kate was slightly alarmed at Julia's demeanour. In Kate's opinion, Julia was setting herself up for further heartbreak by buying the pale yellow jumpsuit and matching teddy bear, but Kate did right by her sister and acted just as happy.

At four o'clock, Kate and Julia found themselves in the waiting room at Kate's OB/GYN. "Ms. Tood?" A nurse said, holding Kate's file in your hand. "Dr. Sullivan is ready for you." Kate stood up and motioned for her sister to follow her. This part, she presumed, they would do together. Dr. Sullivan was a woman aged in her forties, whom Kate had been seeing since she moved to D.C, so she knew Kate's medical history fairly well.

Kate introduced Julia to her doctor and waited patiently for Dr. Sullivan to speak. "So, what can I do for you today, Ms. Todd?" Her smile was kind and comforting and usually put Kate at ease, but today, it had the opposite effect. Kate sat there nervously whilst Julia, who sat to her left, was smiling radiantly.

Kate looked to over to her sister for permission to speak. Julia nodded eagerly and Kate began speaking slowly. "Julia and her husband Michael have asked me if I would be a surrogate mother to their child." Dr. Sullivan did nothing to hide her surprise. It wasn't everyday that she had someone asking to have tests done to be a surrogate mother, least not for family members. Kate took the Doctor's surprise in her stride and continued on. "Julia said there are some tests to go through first, so I want to have those done." There. She'd said it. Sighing, Kate sat back in her chair and looked over at Julia who was grinning broadly.

"Right, well, there are three stages," Dr. Sullivan said before going onto list the three stages of testing that Julia had told her about on Saturday. Kate listened intently to the Doctor's words: the tests were important; the first stage was simple; the second and third lots of tests were more complex. "If you feel you are ready, I can do the blood test today." Kate looked to Julia and then back at her Doctor before accepting.

Kate slowly rolled up her sleeve and let Dr. Sullivan take a vial of blood from her arm. Kate winced and looked away. She sighed when she felt the needle leave her arm. Dr. Sullivan applied a small amount of pressure to the needle-point before releasing it. "All done. We'll be testing for everything, so it will take just under forty-eight hours." Kate nodded and rolled her sleeve back down. "Are you free to come back this time on Wednesday?"

"Yeah, that should be fine," Kate said absent-mindedly.

"I'll see you then," Dr. Sullivan said as she ushered them out the room. Kate walked slowly down the corridor, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. The ball was rolling now and Kate was worried that it might not stop.

* * *

That's all for chapter 6… please review. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think of what Kate's doing? 


	7. Chapter 7

**A Favor For A Sister**

I can't believe how long it has been since I last updated... I just hit a brick wall and couldn't find a direction to take it, until now... ;-) Thanks for all the reviews, I do appreciate them.

**--**

**Part 7**

Gibbs was sitting alone in the bullpen when his cell phone rang. "Gibbs," he said curtly.

"Jethro, it's me," Kate said meekly. She sighed when he didn't respond. "Where are you?"

"Work."

"Oh," she said flatly. "Did you get a case?"

"No," Gibbs replied off-handedly. They drifted into an uncomfortable silence, something they'd never experienced with the other before.

"Um, did you want to meet for dinner?" Kate asked tentatively. Her question was met with another silence. "Or I could bring you some take out at the office if you have work to do."

Gibbs merely grunted in response. "Jethro," Kate said softly after an extended pause. "We need to talk."

"Do we, Kate?"

"You know that we do, Jethro. I don't want to throw away what we've got."

"Are you still going to do _that_ for your sister?" Gibbs asked quietly, yet his tone was icy. He was alone in the bullpen, but still did not see the point in talking loudly. He heard Kate sigh loudly on the other end of the phone.

"I had a blood test today."

"So you are going to do it," Gibbs stated.

"That's not what I said, Gibbs," Kate said, reverting to her 'professional' name for him. "We need to talk," Kate said more defiantly.

"Alright," Gibbs reneged. "I'll meet you for dinner," he said, albeit reluctantly.

"Your house?" Kate asked, hopeful.

"One hour."

"Ok, I'll see you then," Kate replied, relieved. "I love you." Those last three words went unanswered. Sadly, Kate put her cell phone back into her pocket and walked out of her bedroom to the lounge room where she found her sister sitting on the couch watching the news.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" Julia asked when Kate sat down on the other couch.

"I can't, I'm sorry," Kate said apologetically, "I'm meeting Jethro." Julia nodded, understanding.

"Have a good night then," Julia replied. Kate forced a smile to appear on her face. She stood back up from the couch and began getting herself ready.

--

Although she had a key to his house, Kate felt uneasy about using it. She knocked lightly and stood back nervously. Gibbs opened the door slowly and wordlessly stood aside to let Kate in.

Nervously, Kate walked through to the living room and stared blankly at the photo of them on top of the fireplace. It had been taken by a passer-by one day when they had gone on a picnic in the park at roughly the three-month mark in their relationship. She'd come over two nights later and there it was, sitting proudly on the mantle.

She knew he was standing in the doorway watching her, and it took every inch of her self control not to turn around and run towards him. "Kate," Gibbs said, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a step towards her. His heart was aching. He loved Kate, more than he ever thought possible, but he hated what she was going to do for her sister. He didn't want to her to become a surrogate mother, pure and simple.

Slowly, Kate turned around to face him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I love you, Jethro," she said.

"I don't understand why you want to be a surrogate mother," Gibbs replied. They stood at opposite ends of the lounge room, staring intently at each other. "I don't understand why you want to throw everything away for a child that won't be yours."

"She was devastated when she miscarried, Jeth," Kate said rationally. "She thought her life was over. If I can restore just a tiny bit of hope in her, then I'm going to do it."

"By doing the tests, getting her hopes up only to have them come crashing down when you pull out?"

"It's not like that."

"Then how is it, Kate?" Gibbs pressed. His question was met by silence.

Eventually, Kate spoke. "It's just different." Gibbs put his hands in his pockets and dropped his eyes.

"I love you, Kate, but I don't know if I can just stand there and watch you give birth to someone else's child." Kate's heart sank in her chest.

"I just… I don't know what to say to that," Kate admitted feebly. Slowly, Gibbs took a step towards Kate. The air in the room seemed to thicken and time grinded to a halt. Kate minimized the distance between herself and her partner. Gibbs raised his hand out to her and took another step closer. Kate bit down hard on her bottom lip and moved even closer to her lover. The tension seemed to snap at that point and they both surged forward and wrapped their arms around each other.

They stood their holding each other until Gibbs' stomach growled with hunger. They broke apart giggling, the tension that had filled the room only minutes ago had now dissipated. "Hungry?" Kate asked.

"Pizza?" Gibbs responded. Kate nodded in response. The conversation they'd had when she arrived played over in her mind as she moved into the kitchen with Gibbs following behind her. He ordered the pizza on his cell and asked for it to be delivered. Once it had been ordered, he turned to where Kate was busy setting the table.

"So you took the tests today?" Gibbs enquired. Kate's head snapped up suddenly, and she looked over to Gibbs.

"It was just a blood test." Gibbs nodded, urging her to continue. "They screen for everything."

"When will the results be back?"

"Wednesday afternoon," Kate replied.

"Will Julia be going with you?" She nodded at him. "I'd like to come too," Gibbs said, inching closer to her. She looked directly into his eyes.

"I want you to be there, too." Her admission sparked hope in Gibbs that perhaps she wouldn't go through with it after all.

They chatted quietly during dinner, Kate even mentioning the phone call she'd received from Tony that morning. She left out the details of her crying, and simply said that Tony had called saying that Gibbs was not in his best of moods. Gibbs simply shrugged it off. "Were you really that bad?" Kate asked softly. Gibbs nodded his head slightly in response. She chuckled lightly. He looked at her with a deep sadness in his eyes.

"That's how much it hurts, Kate." His eyes were full of sorrow. He'd never been one to admit his emotions, but he had to make sure Kate knew just how deeply he felt for her. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm.

"I'm still going to take the next round of tests if this one comes up clear."

"Kate," Gibbs said in a warning tone.

"I have to, Jethro," Kate said, "I just have to." Gibbs closed his eyes in frustration. Just when he thought they were getting somewhere, they hit an obstacle.

--

That's it so far... thanks for reading it. Please review... I'd love to know what you think of it...


	8. Chapter 8

**A Favor For A Sister**

Thanks for your reviews for the last chapter. It's great to get feedback from you! Sorry this chapter has taken so long to come out, but I wanted it to be perfect!

* * *

**Part 8**

Kate stayed at Gibbs' house until the early hours of Tuesday morning before deciding that it was probably best that she go home to her sister. Gibbs hadn't gone to bed straight away, instead, choosing to work on his boat for an hour or so. Even though he and Kate were back on speaking terms, there was still an underlying tension between them that he feared would not be resolved until her sister went back home and the whole surrogacy issue was over.

"Sort things out with Kate, Boss?" Tony asked when they were traveling in the elevator together. Gibbs turned around and glared at the younger agent.

"What did Kate say yesterday?" Gibbs inquired.

"She didn't tell me anything, but she was crying," Tony said softly.

"She was crying?" Gibbs asked incredulously. He reached over and pushed the emergency stop button before turning to face Tony.

"Kate and I, boss, we're like brother and sister,"

"Tell me something I don't know, DiNozzo," Gibbs intervened, losing patience fast. Kate had told him that Tony had called her yesterday, but she didn't really go into any detail about what was said, from her end of the call anyway.

"What's going on?" Tony asked. "Kate just said she was taking leave because her sister was here, but I know there is more to it than that."

"It's complicated," Gibbs said. He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "And it doesn't concern you."

"I know it's none of my business, but she was really upset yesterday. I was just hoping that everything was okay between the two of you."

Gibbs put his hand on the younger man's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Everything's fine, DiNozzo, you don't need to worry."

"Aw, boss, you're going soft!" Tony exclaimed. Gibbs responded by slapping Tony on the back of the head and reaching forward to release the emergency stop button.

* * *

Tuesday and Wednesday passed slowly for both parties. Kate hadn't seen Gibbs at all. Both of them were anxious to see what transpired at the doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon. Tony was relatively well-behaved over those two days, only calling Kate once each day to see if she was okay. He never asked what was wrong; he knew that wasn't his place.

"Tony, I'm fine!" Kate said emphatically on Wednesday morning.

"Ok, ok!" he surrendered. "Can't wait until you're back at work tomorrow! It's been so boring just having one person to annoy!"

"Tony!" Kate exclaimed. "Get back to work!"

"Just coz you're sleeping with the boss, Kate..."

"Tony!" Kate shrieked.

"…doesn't mean you can act like him!" Tony continued. He was laughing now, and so was Kate, relieving her of some of the tension she was feeling. Although she was feeling fine, she was still quite tense about the situation.

She had never seen her sister so happy, and it was scaring her knowing that she was setting Julia up for heartbreak if she didn't end up carrying her child. She looked over to where her sister was sitting on the couch, a dazed smile on her face.

"Are you ready to go, Jules?" Kate asked late on Wednesday afternoon. Julia flashed a broad smile.

"Sure!" Kate nodded and picked up her purse from the table. They were going to meet Gibbs at the doctor's surgery.

* * *

Kate's stomach was churning and she gripped the steering wheel even tighter when she saw Gibbs' car already parked in the car park of the surgery. He was leaning against it casually, drinking his coffee. Kate pulled leisurely into the park next to him and got out of the car. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her body, kissing her cheek. "Hey," he whispered in her ear.

"Hey," she whispered back.

"Hello Jethro!" Julia exclaimed as she got out of the car.

"Julia," he said curtly. He took Kate's hand and the three of them made their way into the building.

They sat on three consecutive chairs in the waiting room, waiting restlessly for Kate's name to be called. Eventually, it was. "Caitlin Todd?" A nurse called out. Kate stood up and Gibbs and Julia rose from their seats also. "Come this way." The nurse led them down a short passageway and led them into Dr. Sullivan's office.

"Hello, Kate," Dr. Sullivan greeted as they entered the room.

"Dr. Sullivan," Kate nodded back, "this is Jehtro, my… partner, and you know my sister Julia." Dr. Sullivan extended her hand to Gibbs, who shook it dutifully.

"Now, let's get down to business," Dr. Sullivan said as she opened a folder in front of her. She looked up from reading the folder and was met with three very differently expressed faces. Julia's face wore an expression of anxious anticipation and happiness; Gibbs' expression was scrutinizing, which unnerved her slightly, but realized that he was a man of great power and authority. It was Kate's expression that worried her the most. Sitting on the far left, Kate had her hands planted firmly in her lap and her face was a mix of fear, worry, dread, and angst. Her eyes were fixed in firmly on her hands, and with the blood test returning interesting results, Dr. Sullivan knew that she had to have this conversation with Kate alone.

"Julia, Jethro," Dr. Sullivan said as she made contact with both of them. "I'd like to speak to Ms. Todd alone." Kate's head snapped up when she heard her name. Gibbs looked over to his lover, and she nodded tentatively. Julia and Gibbs left the room quietly, leaving Kate alone with her doctor.

"You don't want Katie to do this, do you?" Julia spat as soon as the door was closed on them. Gibbs ran a hand through his silvery hair and fixed his eyes at Kate's older sister.

"How well do you know your sister?" He asked. Always the investigator was Gibbs, never giving anything away.

"A lot better than you do, Jethro," Julia retorted.

"What makes you think that?" Gibbs questioned.

"She's my sister. I've grown up with her."

"I love her!" Gibbs practically shouted. Julia snickered.

"You're old enough to be our father." Gibbs eyes hardened and he clenched his fists by his sides. He was saved from responding because Dr. Sullivan came opened the door. "Jethro, Kate needs to speak to you," she said, her eyes darting between the two people eyeing-off in the corridor. Julia's eyes widened in shock and Gibbs just walked back into the room shutting the door in Julia's face.

What encountered Gibbs on the other side made his heart constrict in his chest. His argument with her sister flew out of his mind. Kate hadn't moved from the chair, but her shoulders were slumped and her hair fell forward over her face. He could see her shoulders heaving up and down. She was crying. 'Oh god,' Gibbs thought, 'please don't let it be something bad.' He remembered what she had said on Monday about them testing for everything and his mind raced through a dozen or so possibilities of why his lover, his partner, was sobbing in her chair. He moved his chair closer to hers and sat down. He placed on hand on her back and took her hands in his other. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them softly.

Dr. Sullivan sat down in her chair quietly and watched the interaction between the pair.

Kate looked up and made eye contact with Gibbs. He moved his hand on her back in soothing circles. "Katie," he whispered, "what's wrong?" Kate bit down on her lip and composed herself.

She looked over to Dr. Sullivan, who nodded encouragingly. Looking back at Gibbs, Kate took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking.

"Jethro, I'm pregnant."

* * *

Review? Please! 


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

Gibbs' eyes widened in disbelief at what Kate had just said. As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she began crying. She put her head in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Gibbs tried to process the words he'd just heard. He looked at Dr. Sullivan for some form of confirmation and when she nodded his head, he knew he'd heard correctly. "I'll give you two some time," she said quietly to Gibbs before she left them alone in her office.

Gibbs sat forward in his chair and faced Kate. His hand was still resting on her back, so he began moving it again in comforting circles. He reached forward with his other hand and pulled her body into his arms. Instinctively, she latched onto him and buried her head in his shoulder where she continued to cry. "Katie," he whispered, as he held her tightly in his arms. "Katie, shhh, don't cry, shhh," he whispered soothingly. "Everything's going to be ok."

He could feel Kate's sobs lessen and eventually they stopped. He pulled back so that he could see her face. "Katie," he whispered, "why the tears?" He reached forward and wiped both cheeks lightly with his thumbs. His eyes searched hers as he waited for her to answer.

"I'm pregnant," she said, looking away. She couldn't meet his gaze because she didn't want to see his disappointment. He hooked a finger under her chin and turned her face to meet his.

"Look at me," he commanded softly. When Kate didn't comply, he said it again, this time with slightly more force. "Kate, look at me."

Begrudgingly, Kate lifted her eyes and looked at Gibbs. He was smiling at her and she was shocked to see the joy dancing in his eyes. He shifted his hand so it cupped the side of her face. "Katie," he whispered, closing the gap between them, "we're going to have a baby." Gibbs was powerless to stop a broad grin from appearing on his face. He leant in and kissed her lightly on the lips and pulled back.

"You're, you're happy about this?" Kate asked softly. Gibbs raised his eye brows at her response and chuckled lightly.

"I couldn't be happier, Kate."

"Really?" she questioned tentatively.

Gibbs reached forward and placed his other hand on her face and brought her lips to his. He put all of his emotions into the kiss, hoping that Kate would understand just how much he wanted her and this baby. Slowly, he broke away from Kate and looked at her in the eye. "Does that make it clearer?" She smiled meekly at Gibbs. "I want this baby, Kate," he whispered.

"Oh, Jethro," Kate said as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She began crying again, but this time, they were tears of happiness. She pulled away and wiped her tears, smiling broadly.

"How far along are you?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know," Kate said meekly, "I had no idea I was pregnant. I know we haven't talked about kids, but…"

"I want kids, Kate, I really do," Gibbs said truthfully. Kate was about to reply when Dr. Sullivan entered the room again. She smiled when she saw Kate and Gibbs smiling at each other.

"I take it everything is ok?" Dr. Sullivan asked hesitantly. Gibbs and Kate looked at the doctor as she sat down.

"Everything is perfect, Doctor," Gibbs replied.

"Good," she said, smiling. "Now, Kate, you're sister is out in the corridor wondering what's going on." Kate's eyes widened in shock. She'd completely forgotten about Julia and the 'real' reason as to why she was at the doctor's in the first place.

"You didn't say anything, did you?" Kate asked Dr. Sullivan, panicky.

"Doctor/Patient confidentiality, Kate," Dr. Sullivan reminded her.

"Of course, sorry," Kate said apologetically. Gibbs reached for her hands and took them in his. "Oh, Jethro, how am I going to tell Julia?"

"Give me your car keys," he asked softly. Kate wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion; unsure of what he was intending to do. "Do you trust me?" Gibbs questioned. Kate nodded her head slowly. She reached down to her purse and searched for her car keys. She handed them over to Gibbs and watched as he stood up and exited the room.

"Jethro!" Julia exclaimed when she saw him leave the doctor's office. "Is everything ok? The doctor wouldn't tell me anything!"

"Everything's fine," he replied. His face had returned to its usual stone-cold expression. He held Kate's car keys out to Julia and she accepted them. "Take Kate's car back to her apartment. We'll be back later tonight." He didn't even give Julia the chance to respond before he turned on his heel and walked back into the doctor's office.

"What did you do?" Kate asked slyly as Gibbs sat back down next to her and took her hands in his.

"I told her we'd meet her at your place later."

"Anything else?" Kate asked, not quite believing him. He simply winked at her in return and she looked at him suspiciously before turning back to the doctor. "So where do we go from here?" Kate questioned.

"Well, since you don't know how far along you are, I'd like to do an ultra-sound, that way we can get an idea of when you're due and how things are." Kate nodded and Gibbs squeezed her hand. "We can do that now if you'd like," Dr. Sullivan suggested.

Gibbs and Kate looked at each other and nodded. "Right then, Kate, here's a gown you can put on. There is a changing room just through there," Dr. Sullivan continued as she walked over and handed Kate a gown.

"Thank you," Kate said as she accepted it and walked into the small adjacent room.

Once the door was closed behind her, Dr. Sullivan began preparing the examination table and setting up the ultrasound equipment. "So how long have you and Kate been together," Dr. Sullivan asked nonchalantly.

"Not quite a year," he replied.

"So how did you two meet?" The doctor asked, making small talk until Kate returned.

Gibbs chuckled before replying, "I met her on Air Force One." Dr. Sullivan froze.

"Air Force One?" She repeated surprise more than evident on her face.

"Yeah," Gibbs said, sitting back in his chair.

"I know Kate is a federal agent," Dr. Sullivan said, "but I didn't know she'd been on Air Force One."

"She used to be with the Secret Service, but now she's with NCIS."

"Did I hear 'Secret Service'"? Kate asked as she re-entered the room in the hospital gown.

"I didn't know you used to be in the Secret Service, Kate," Dr. Sullivan stated. Kate smiled and looked at Gibbs, wondering what had been said in the time she'd been gone.

"I just told her how we met," Gibbs explained.

"Oh," Kate replied simply, unsure of what to say.

"Now, Kate, let's get you up here on the bed," Dr. Sullivan said, getting back down to business. "Jethro, you can stand here, that way you can see the screen." Gibbs stood up and moved to a spot near Kate's head. Dr. Sullivan pulled a blanket up to Kate's hips and then lifted the gown up to expose her stomach. "Now, I'm just going to squeeze some gel on your stomach, its a little cold, but then we'll get underway."

Kate nodded her head, giving her doctor permission to begin. She squirmed slightly when she felt the gel come into contact with her skin. "Right, here we go," Dr. Sullivan said. "I'm going to have to use a little bit of pressure, ok?"

"That's fine," Kate replied. She tilted her head up and looked at Gibbs. He looked down and smiled adoringly at her. They both turned their attention back to the doctor when she flicked on the ultrasound monitor.

"That's…. that's…" Kate said as she looked at the baby on the monitor. She was so overcome that she couldn't form any words in her mouth. Gibbs leant down and took hold of one of Kate's hands.

Dr. Sullivan chuckled, "yes, Kate, that's your baby right there," she said as she pointed to the middle of the screen.

"Wow," Gibbs replied, squeezing Kate's hand gently.

"Now, let's have a closer look to see how far a long you are." Dr. Sullivan moved the wand about on Kate's stomach and then stopped. "You two definitely take the prize," she said, smiling.

"Prize?" Kate asked, both confused and worried. Dr. Sullivan spun around on her chair and looked at the anxious couple.

"In all my years as an obstetrician, I've never seen a fetus so young." Kate and Gibbs looked at each other, clearly confused at what the doctor was saying. "Your child was conceived roughly two weeks ago."

"Two weeks?" Kate asked. Dr. Sullivan nodded her head, confirming it. Kate turned her head and looked up at Gibbs.

"When we got back," Gibbs stated for the both of them. Kate nodded knowingly and turned back to face her doctor.

"So that would make the baby due in…" Kate began before trailing off and thinking.

"Mid-July," Dr. Sullivan finished for her. Gibbs bent down closer to Kate and placed a light kiss in her hair. "And everything looks well at this early stage," she added. The doctor reached for some tissues and wiped Kate's stomach clean of the gel. "Kate, you can go and get dressed now." Dr. Sullivan helped Kate off the examination table and Kate quickly left the room. Gibbs moved back over to the chair he'd been sitting in previously, overcome with emotions.

"I can't believe she's pregnant," he said quietly.

"You weren't using protection?" Dr. Sullivan asked, surprised.

Gibbs uncharacteristically fumbled slightly, but answered her questioned. "Well, we are, I mean, we did, but I guess ah, I guess it didn't work."

Dr. Sullivan chuckled slightly. "You're not the first couple I've had in here with that reason," she said. "As long as you're both willing to talk about the impact this baby will have on both of you," she continued, "then there is nothing wrong with that."

"I want this baby more than anything," Gibbs admitted his voice barely above a whisper. The doctor smiled at him and fiddled for a moment with the monitor. She walked back to her desk carrying some photos and sat down. She opened Kate's folder and began to make some notes. Gibbs sat back in his chair and tried his hardest not to fidget with his hands. They were silent for a few minutes until Kate came back into the room, adjusting her clothes.

Kate walked over and took her seat again, reaching out for Gibbs' hand as she did so. "Right," Dr. Sullivan began, "you don't need me to tell you that you're in the very early stages of pregnancy, Kate." Kate looked at Gibbs and smiled. "I'd like to see you back in here in a month's time for another ultrasound, is that alright with you?" They both nodded in agreement and Dr. Sullivan continued. "In the mean time, nothing strenuous for the mom-to-be!"

Gibbs smiled. "Not a problem," he spoke for both of them.

"Well, I'll see you in a month," Dr. Sullivan said as she stood up. She removed the photos from the file and handed them to Kate. "Your baby's first photo."

Kate looked down at the black and white print in her hands and smiled broadly. Gibbs put his arm around her and leant in to get a closer look. "That's our baby, Kate," he whispered in her ear. Kate turned her head to face him and tears of happiness glistened in her eyes. Slowly, Gibbs lowered his head and lightly pressed their lips together quickly.

"Please don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions between now and then," Dr. Sullivan offered as they broke apart. "I'll be more than happy to help."

"Thank you," Kate and Gibbs said simultaneously. They walked happily out of the medical centre and made their way to Gibbs vehicle. Kate pulled out of Gibbs' arms and looked up at him sadly.

"Jethro," she said, distress more than evident in her voice, "what do I tell Julia?"

* * *

Sorry about the delay in updating... I'll try and get the next chapter done as soon as possible! Please review and tell me what you thought... 


End file.
